Edge-grinding machine



A. H LA FORTUNE.

EDGE GRINDWG MACHINE.

APPLlCATION man rm. I2, 1916.

9 l 9 11 9 M e D d 6 t H e t a 11 A. H. LA FORTUNE.- EDGE GRINDlNG MACHINE. luwunnou HLED ma. :2. me.

0m 1 197.. IT. 9 I" s M s f E E M t n3 1 $31 A";- elttozucgs A. H. LA FORTUNE. EDGE GRINDING MACHINE,

l 324,454. Patented DecJfi), 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

UNITED STATES PAT NT carton.

ALBERT 11. LA ron'rrmn, or uron, new .rnnsmr, Assmnon 'ro GENERAL or'rrcar.

' COMPANY, me, A conrona'rron or new YORK.

EDGE-GRINDING- MACHINE.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

patented Dec. 9, 1919.

Application filed February 12, 1916. Serial No. 77,827.

To all whom it may co-neem:

Be it-known that I, ALBERT H. LA Fon- TUNE, ,a citizen of the United States, residmary object of my invention 1s to provide ing at"Hilton, in the countyof Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented ,certain new and useful Improvements in Edge- Grinding Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to machines for grinding the edges of lenses to produce a lens of the proper size and shape; The pr1- an edge-grinding machine which may-be used for grinding lenses of all shapes and sizes, such as round, oval and-Boston shaped lenses without requiring the pattern to be changed each time a different shape I lens is to 'be cut.

Another object of the invention is to provide an edge-grinding machine in-wluch the pattern or former is not easily worn or mutilated' and the lenses are always accurately ground. I I

With these and other objects view, the

im'ention comprises a former or pattern for controlling the oscillatory movement of the lens holder in accordance with the shape of the lens to be ground, which former is driven at a speed synchronous to the speed of the lens holder. The pattern or former is ofa varlable shape in cross section, the various cross sections corresponding to the various shapes to which it-is desired to grind a' lens, as for example, oval, round and Boston shape. -A contact member bears against the pattern andeither the contactor or former is connected to the oscillatory lens holder to control the bodily movement;

thereof. The contactor is adjustable longi: tudinally of the former and the lens will correspond in shape to the perlpheral contour .of the cross section of the former at its oint of engagement with the contactor. n the preferred construction, the contactor is also adjustable laterally, which vperinits a lens of any desired size to be cut.

In one practical construction, the lens holder and former are rotatably mounted on a swinging frame in axial alinement, The frame is maintained under a tension which urges the former against a relatively stationary contactor so that as the former revolves the swinging frame and hence the ,lens holder will have an oscillatory move ment imparted to it which correspond to the Referring to thedrawmgs, the machine is shown as supported upon legs 1 which carry ground.

description .of an illustrated embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- ,Figurelis a plan of amachine constructinvehtion; v 1 v, Fig. 2 1s a side elevation thereof;

Fi' "13 is a detail of theslidewhich carries eicontactor; 7 Fig, 4 is asectmnofnFig. line- 3 '1 m Fig. 5 1s adetail showing the former;

Figs. 6 and 7 -are ,end views thereof; and -'F i .--8, 9, 10,111, and.12 are sections of the ormer taken, on'ther-lines a-a, 12-6, 0-0, we5 :,.and 3 131, respectively.

edin-accordancewith the principles of my 3 taken on the i a holloyfabed or frame 2 which provides a chamber for the grind-stone 3. Carried by the bed 2'are1t'wospaced parallel bed plates 4 and fiwvhich extend the entire length of the machine and are connected at one end by a narrow stri-pY. Bearings 8 and 9 are mounted upon the bed plates 4 and 5, respectively,

which support a shaft 10 extending trans-- versely of'the frame and projecting through both the bearings. Rigidlv mounted upon oneiof these projecting en is apulley 11 which isadapted to be driven from a suitable source of power. The grind-stone 3 is mounted upon the shaft 10 between two collars 11 so that the grind-stone rotateswith the shaft. One of these collars carries a sleeve 12 which has aloose ring 12 mounted thereonto which is secured an arm 13 which is adapted to be oscillated and slowly move 100 the shaft '10 and the grind-stone 3 longitudinally of its axis as will be hereinafter referred to. Mounted in the bearing 9 is a sleeve or -hollow shaft ltwhich carries a worm gear lfi. The shaft 10 passes through 105 this shaft .14 and the wormgear 15, these parts being keyed to the-shaft so as to rotate therewith, and yet permit the shaft to slide longitudinally Withmthesame. The hollow shaft l i is provided witlra collarfor flange 110 1 names '.sity of changing the pattern and substitut ing a new one each time a lens of a. different shape is to be ground, which change requires a considerable period increases the expense Moreover, errors are of time, and hence, of grinding the lens. frequently made, due to the selection of the wrong pattern, or to the improper adjusting of the pattern, which will result in a lens being inacciirately ground.

'In my machine, I dispense with all chucks necessary for holding such patterns, and in place of a set of. indlvidual patterns which have heretofore been deemed necessary, I use a former 60 which is perms nently mounted for rotation upon the shaft 39. This former is shown in detail in Figs. 5 to 12, inclusive, and is so shaped that the peripheral contour of the various cross sec tions thereof corresponds to the various shaped lenses to be out as, for example, one end the former is of a narrow ellipti cal shape which corresponds i rowest lenses which are used. The minor axis of the ellipse then increases in length as shown by cross sections in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, until the line cl-d is reached, at which point a. cross section of the former is perfect circle. The remaining section. of the former is shaped so that the peripheral contours of its cross sections correspond to the shape of the lenses known as Boston lenses. which are shown inl igs. 7. 11 and 12. The surface or the former intermediate the sections indicated forms a smooth curve and it is obvious that the shape of the former at any intermediate cross section will be slightly different than those shown thereby giving practically an infinite number of shapes to which a lens may be ground.

As described, the former is mounted in the tensioned swinging frame and hence it is held against a contactor 61 which consists of a blade having a round point 62 engaging the surface of the formen The contactor is mounted upon three pins 63, .64 and 65 which pass through openings therein and are supported in two spaced upright standards 66. The pin 65- is rotatable and is threaded itsentire length to engage in a correspondingly threaded opening in the contactor so that by rotating this screw, the contactor may be moved laterally so as to engage the former at any desired point on its periphe'y. The shaft '65 'is provided with a thumb knob 67 to manually rotate the same. Extending across the standards 66 is a scale 68 with which a pointer 69 carried by the contactor codperates to indicate to the nar the base plate may be moved toward The standards 66 converge at their lower ends and are secured to or form an integral part of a sliding plate '20 mounted in grooves or slide-Ways "Z1 in the base plate (see Fig. l), and protected by a cover 72. he sliding plate carries a lug it on the underside of its front end which is presided with a screw-threaded opening through which a threaded shaft '21? passes. This shaft is mounted upon the base plate in suitable bearings and has one end therem extending exteriorly of the front edge of the machine and provided with a thumb knob 2'6 whereby upon rotation of the threaded shaft the sliding plate 70 Will be advanced toward or Withdrawn from the grind-stone; or in other words, the length of the path. of the former. and the swinging frame will be varied and the size of the lens which is ground varied accordingly. The threaded shaft '75 carries a Worm *5? which engages a Worm gear 78 mounted on a vertically disposed stud in the cover plate 72, the upper end of this stud carrying a pointer 79' which is adapted to coiiperatc with a scale 86 to indicate the size of the lens which is being ground.

The entire base plate and the operating mechanism which it supports is slidably mounted upon the bed plates,- l and 5, which bed plates are slotted as at 81 to receive bolts which pass upwardly through the slots into'a portion of the base plate whereby or away fIOYIL the grind-stone and clamped at any desired position.

The operation of the machine is obvious from the description, but will be briefly described. Assuming that the pulley 11 is being'driven, the grind-stone will be rotated and through the Worms 15, 16, 19 and 20, and the other connections the grindstone will receive a, slow reciprocatory movement in a direction transverse to the machine. While the machine is being made ready, the clutch 37 should be thrown out so that the pinion 34 will not actuate the gear 33 to retate the shafts 39 and 40 carrying the lens holder and other parts. The lens 1s inserted between the chucks l-l and 42 by'throwing the lever 48 to the right After the lens has been properly positioned, the contactor 61 is set by the thumb knobs 67 and 76 to engage with the former at the desired section the peripheral contour of the section ch gaged by the contactor,

thereof. In other words, the thumb knob 67 is rotated until the contactor is moved laterally until the pointer-and scale indicate that it is engaging a section of the former whose peripheral contour corresponds to the shape of the lens to be cut. In the same manner the thumb knob Y6 is rotated until the pointer 79 indicates upon the scltle 80 the desired size of the lens. The spring 57 urges the lens holder and other parts carried by the swinging frame toward the grind-stone and if the clutch'37 is now thrown in, the lens will be rotated in the opposite direction to the grind-stone and the edge of the lens will commence to be ground. At this time, the contactor may or may not be in engagement with the former, but as the grinding action continues, the cont-actor will come into engagement with the former at 'dillercnt. points during the rotation until finally the cont-actor remains in engagement with the former during the entire rotation ofthe lens, and the lens will thus be ground'to a shape exactly corresponding to the peripheral contour of the section of the former which is engaged by the contactor, the oscillatory movement imparted to the swinging frame being similar in all respects to the oscillatory movement which is imparted to the lens holder in the types of machine now gcnerallyin use. To grind lenses of any other shape and size it is only necessary to adjust the contactor hoth laterally and nor mally t0 the former, the indicators described informing the operator when the machincis properly set for the desired shaped lens.

I claim:

1. In an edge grinding machine for lenses, a grinder, a rotary lens holder, and means for imparting an oscillatory movement to said lens holder tovard and away from the grinder comprising a former fixed to rotate with the lens holder and a contactor adapted to engage the surface of said former, said former and contactor being relatively adjustable by relative movement longitudinally of the axis of said former, said former having a surface, the contours of the various cross sections of which correspond to the contours of a plurality of different shaped lenses.

2. In an edge grinding; machine for lenses, a grinder, a rotary lens holder, and means for imparting an oscillatory niovement to said lens holder toward and away from the grinder comprising a former fixed to rotate with the lens holder and a contactor adapted to engage the surface of said former, said former and contactor being relatively adjustable by movement both longitudinally and normally to the axis of said former, said former having a surface, the contours of the various cross sections of which corre spond to a plurality of contours of the (lit-- ferent shaped lenses.

3. In an edge ,gnrinclin; machine, a grinder, a rotary lens holder, and means for impartin, an oscillatory movement to said holder toward and awayil rom the grinder comprising a lormer fixed to rotate with said holder and a contactor adapted to engage the surlace of said former and to be adjusted longitudinally with respect 'tmsaid former. said former havinga surface, the contours of the various cross sections of one smooth uninterrupted portion out which vary gradually from narrow ellipse to a perfect circle, said former having another smooth uninterrupted part of its surface, the various cross sections of which correspond in shape to the shape of a Boston lens.

a. In edge grinding machine for lenses, a grinder, a rotary lens holder, and means for imparting an oscillatory movement to said lens holder toward and away from the grinder, comprising a former and a contactor adapted to engage the face of said former, a sliding plate carrying said contactor and adapted to he moved in a direc tion normal to the axis of the former, a contactor carried by said sliding plate and adapted to he moved on said plate in. a direction parallel to the axis of said former, said former having a surface, the contours of the various cross sections of which correspend. to the contours of a plurality of difformer, a sliding plate carrying: said contactor and adapted to be moved in a direction normal to the axis of the former, a contactor carried by said slidingplate and adapted to be moved on said plate in a direction pa 'allel to the axisoi said former, and means "for indicating both positions of said contactor.

6. In an edge grinding machine for lenses, a rotary lens holder comprising two chucks. rotary shafts carrying said chucks. one of said shafts being; movable longitudinally of its axis, a former carried by the other of said shafts in axial ,alinement with said shafts, said former having the contours of. the various cross sections thereof corresponding to the cmitonrs of the varioiis shaped lenses-to he cut. a sliding plate mov ahle normally to said former, spacedstandards carried by said plate, pins "connectin said standards, acontactor slidably mounted on said pins. means for moving said contactor on said pins to engage dili'erent p rtions of the surface of said former, and means for moving; said sliding; plate. I

7. In an edge-grinding inacl'iii'ie for lenses. a grinder, a rotary lens holder and means for imparting an oscillatory movement to said lens holder toward and away from the grinder comprising a former fixed torotate with the lens holder, adapted to engage the surface of said former thereliy to limit the position of the holder relative to the grinder, the said forum and L'Olii'aclor liein; relatively movable loniritndinally of the axis oi' said former, said former having an unintcrrupted smooth surface, the contours of the'varions cross secand a COUtHCi Ol tions of which cerrespond $0 the contours" of a plurality of different shaped lenses.

8. In an edge-grinding machine 01 lenses a grinder, a roigary lens halcler, and means for impartingan oscillatory movement in said lens holder toward and away from the grinderccmprising a former fixet $0 rotate with the lens holder and & contactor adapted to engage the surface 01' said former thereby to limit the positim of the h I?? r913,- tive ta the grinder, said former 1111 00mtacfior being relatively movabie 101 ,iflldli "Emily of the axis of said formsr, means 1501' anchoring the former and contactor in con- "met Wi sh enmanother at any positien relative t0 the longifiudinal axis of the former, said former having an unintsrrupted smooth surface, the contours of the various cross sections of which correspond to the 00m wars of a plurality of lensas. I

In Witness whereaf, K subscrlbe myslgnm tum m the pregame of two Witnesses.

ALBERT H. LA FG'RTUNE.

Wit-masses;

'F. L. HIGGINS,

AJC. MOESOHENh difi'erent shaped 

